Single film rerecording system



Sept. 26, 1961 o. B. GUNBY SINGLE FILM RERECORDING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 30, 1956 kmo,

INVENTOR. [ILIN B. EuNBY BY MW TT'ON'Y Sept. 26, 1961 o. B. GU-NBY SINGLE FILM RERECORDING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 30. 1956 Svi S Suk@ L\\N 5mi .S Mv# NN N NN lo |Y m :G N .N. RN NN INVENTOR. [ILIN B. EUNBY BY fa/M TTaRN'Y United States PatentO l 3,002,055 SINGLE FILM RERECORDING SYSTEM Olin Brittingham Gunby, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 30, 1956, Ser. No. 607,148 4 Claims. (Cl. 179-100.27)

This invention relates to sound rerecording systems andv particularly to a magnetic sound film rerecording system wherein the sound is rerecorded from and to the same sound film medium.

In sound motion picture production, several types of motion picture and sound recording equipments are used. In motion picture studios, where large units may be used to advantage, the picture is recorded on one film and the concomitant sound on another `film either optically or magnetically. At the present time, most original recordings are made on separate magnetic films. -In many newsreel cameras, which mustrbe highly portable, the sound is recorded optically on the same film as the picture. In such portable single lm equipments, the quality of the sound is usually inferior to that obtained with the studio type photographic sound recording equipment.

To improve the sound quality of single systems," photographic film is now provided with a narrow magnetic stripe, and the sound is recorder on this stripe `as the picture is photographed. Thus, the advantages of magnetically recorded sound have been brought to single film portable motion picture equipment. Some of these advantages are lower background noise, higher frequency response, the ability to monitor sound from the film during the recording process, and the avoidance of making a print ofthe original sound track before reproducing it for television transmission.

Therefore, -for television release, it is unnecessary to provide a print from the negative film, since the densities of the negative may be reversed in the television equipV ment. This Asaves vtime getting a newsreel on the air and considerable expense. Also, the present equipment does not damage the negative.

One of the problems inherent in single film picture and sound cameras involves displacement of the picture image with respect to the concomitant sound image. Dierent commercial projection and television equipments use different spacings between the picture and sound points which do not correspond to the spacing in the single film camera. In all photographic single film systems where it is necessary to make a print, the displacement between the sound and picture is changed during the printing operation so that the resultant prints have the picture and sound in proper synchronism yfor projection and reproduction on any particular equipment. Since the single film system with the magnetic stripe requires no prints to be made, the displacement between the sound and picturernust be changed from what it is in the camera Vto be usable in certain apparatus, such -as a television transmitter. The present invention is directed to a system for providing any desired displacement between the picture Iand its concomitant sound regardless of the original displacement thereof.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to facilitate the production of a motion picture sound lm.

Another object of thev invention is to provide `an improved system yfor producing a motion picture sound film with any desired displacement between the picture and its concomitant sound.

A further object of the invention is to provide a magnetic sound rerecording system from yand to the same film for varying the position of the sound on a magnetic stripe with respect to its picture.

Patented Sept. 26, 196.1

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A better understanding of this invention may be had from the yfollowing detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a diagrammatic view of a rerecording system embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a modification of the system shown in FIG. l;

FiG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of another modification of the rerecording system shown in FIG. l; and

FlG. 4 is a partial view of a type of film used in the invention.

Referring to FIGS. l and 4, a combination photographic icture and magnetic sound film 5 has two rows of sprocket holes `6 and 7, picture image areas 8, and a magnetic stripe 9. The film shown in FIG. 4 is a standard 35 mm. with four sprocket holes per `frame and the magnetic stripe 9 in the usual sound track area. The invention is also applicable to 16 mm.iilm having one sprocket hole per frame.

A film transport system lis illustrated by a drum I11 to stabilize the motion of the film, the .film 5 passing over a reproduce head 12 and an erase head 13. The film then goes over the guide roller 14, an adjustable roller 15, a guide roller `16, and then to la magnetic record head 17 and a second stabilizing vdrum 18. The roller 15 is adjustable perpendicularly to the direction of film travel, as shown lby the broken line 22, to increase and decrease the size of the loop 23.

The reproduce head is connected to a magnetic playback amplifier 2S feeding a magnetic recording amplifier 26 which is connected over conductor 27 to recording head 17 after passing through any desired units shown in block 33. A high frequency bias oscillator 29 is connected to the recording amplifier 26 in a manner well known in the art. The high frequency oscillator isalso connected to'a bias current amplifier 3()y which feeds erase head '.13 over conductor 31. Thus,'the sound signal is detected at 12, erased at `13, and rerecorded at 17.

Assuming, now, that as original-ly photographed and recorded, the displacement between the picture and sound is 91/2 frames, 13 frames, or any other certain number of 'frames However, the final displacement desired for television transmission is 2.21/2 frames. To accomplish the change in spacing, the roller 15 is adjusted so that the sound as reproduced at point A is recorded at point 13, the desired number of Iframes farther along the magnetic stripe. For instance, if the original recording was spaced 9%/2 frames from the picture and a 221/2 frame spacing was desired, the new recording would be 13 more frames farther along the stripe than originally recorded. Therefore, as the film 5 is transported through the rerecorder, it is reproduced Iat point A, erased at point C, and rerecorded at point B. This relationship is indicated by similar letters, A, B, and C, on the film shown in FIG. 4, although the spacing is not in `accordance with the example.

This rerecording operation may be done rapidly to shorten the time now required to get newsreels on the air, and by the use o-f magnetic sound equipment, there will be no deterioration in the rerecorded sound. Furthermore, equa-lized high pass filters, low pass filters, volume compressors, variable mixer controls, reverberation equipment, and combining networks, as indicated at 33, may be employed to alter the original sound to provide an improved over-all effect. That is, the audio levels may Ibe adjusted between different takes during the rerecording process as =well as variations made in the frequency response which is desirable to provide the best sound under certain reproducing conditions. Reverberation may be added to fit the mood of the picture, while background effects and sound effects may be also mixed this system not only permits shifting Vthe displacementV between the sound as originally recorded and the picture y toda `different spacing, butrduring. the. process an improve-r ment, may, bemaclei inthe-sound signal itself.

Referring now, to,V FIG, 2y thesameunits are shown at 1,1, 12, 13, 1-5, 17, and.18; However, inv this modification, the erase head 13 is placed timmediately prior to the recordhead .17, while,.ythe adjustable, roller 15- forms a loop 3'5 between guide rollers 3d and '37. AIn.,lE `IG. 3, drums. 11 andA 18transport thelm in substantially a straight line. therebetw,een,4 the adjustable rollerr 15 being eliminated. vInlthis,modifieation, the reproduce head 12 is mounted on a bracket 39, erase head 13 and record head 17 beingpositioned .asshown in FIG. 2.l By the provision oiadditional holesAl `andvl! on the panel for adjusting the positionogfreproduce head 12 with respect` to record head1?, the, desired rdisplacement between Y picture' soundvis obtained- The above, system, therefore, permits a high quality newsreel or other lrn yto be rapidly provided, with the t proper displacement between picture and its concomitant j Y meansad-apted. to record lsaid sound record on said nie-- fdium after theerasingthereof, ,and4 means lfor connectning,saichdetecting:means and said recording means, means being included in said, medium, guiding means and intermediater said detection vmeans., and rsaid recording means for Varyingthe amount of said sound record medium between said `detecting means and said recording means, said last-mentioned means -being a -lm `guiding roller between said first-mentioned rollers and adjustable to vary the length of said medium between said rollers.

2. A sound rerecording. system in accordance with claim l in which said connecting means inclu/des means for varying the amplitude and frequency characteristicsof said soundrecord during. transmission of said-record be-` reproducev hea-d, said erase head,;gand said record head in that order,v said transport4 means, including a pairV of rollers between said erase head yand said record head, land nfieansradaptedy to adjust the length-of the rilmbetween said reproduce head` land said record head, said Klast-mentioned means! beingga .roller between said pair of rollers, said rollers being adjustable substantially perpendicular to the path of said film.

4. A system in. accordancetwith claim Brin which inter? l connecting means are providedbetween, said reproduce head and said record head, said interconnecting means including Vcurrent andi frequency varyingV devices :to introduce compression `and reverberation into said sound.

References Cited in thev le of this patent Y Y UNITED l STATESV PATENTS r` Butts Aug. 27,

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE I CERTIFICATE 0E CORRECTION Patent No., 31,002,055' September 26, 1961 Olin Brittingham Gunby It is lhereby certified that error appears n the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said LettersvPatent should read as corrected below.

Column l, line 27, for recorder read recorded line 43, after "involves" insert the column 4, line 23 for-,"rollers" read roller sntgned and sealed this 6th day of March 196.2'.A

(SEAL) 4 Attest: i

ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID L, LADD Attesting Officer ("jommiessioner of Patents UNITED STATES- PATENT. OFFICE CERTIFICATE oE CORRECTION Patent Noo 3OO2,055 September 26, 1961 Olin Brittingham Gunby hat error appears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby certified t that the said Letters Patent should read as ent requiring correction and corrected below Column l, line 27, for recorder read recorded line 43, after "involves" insert the column 4, line 23 for "rollers" read wroller signed and sealed this 6th day of March I962 (SEAL) E Attest: ff

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer DAVHDL.LADD

Commissioner of Patents 

